Perfluoroalkylethyl (meth)acrylate-containing copolymers having utility as textile-treating agents for the purpose of imparting oil- and water-repellency are known. Solvent-based formulations which do not require a heatcuring step during application have been described by Kirimoto and Hayashi in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,614; however, environmental and safety concerns now require virtually all such applications to be made from aqueous formulations in place of organic solvents. Greenwood, Lore, and Rao, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,140, disclose perfluoroalkylethyl acrylate/vinylidene chloride/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymers which, after application to polyamide textile substrates from an aqueous formulation, imparted oil- and water-repellency to the substrates. The Greenwood et al. perfluoroalkylethyl acrylate monomers have the formula: EQU CF.sub.3 --CF.sub.2 --(CF.sub.2).sub.k --C.sub.2 H.sub.4 --OC(O)CH.dbd.CH.sub.2
in which the monomer molecular weight distribution is given as:
0-10 weight % of the fluoromonomer with k=or &gt;4 PA1 45-75 weight % of the fluoromonomer with k=6 PA1 20-40 weight % of the fluoromonomer with k=8 PA1 1-20 weight % of the fluoromonomer with k=10 PA1 0-5 weight % of the fluoromonomer with k=or &gt;12 PA1 25-70 weight % of monomers wherein k=4 or less PA1 20-40 weight % of monomers wherein k=6 PA1 5-25 weight % of monomers wherein k=8 PA1 0-15 weight % of monomers wherein k=10 or greater. PA1 45-70 weight % of monomers wherein k=4 or less PA1 20-35 weight % of monomers wherein k=6 PA1 5-10 weight % of monomers wherein k=8 PA1 0-5 weight % of monomers wherein k=10 or greater; PA1 25-45 weight % of monomers wherein k=4 or less PA1 25-40 weight % of monomers wherein k=6 PA1 10-25 weight % of monomers wherein k=8 PA1 1-15 weight % of monomers wherein k=10 or greater.
All of the prior compositions which can be applied from an aqueous emulsion require a heat-curing step after application and drying. For example, Greenwood et al. heat-treated the fabric at 140.degree. C. to 190.degree. C. for at least 30 sec, typically 60 to 180 sec.